Did ya'll hear?? The makers, movie, or director of The Perfect Storm are being sued by the family of George Clooney's CHARACTER (the captain). The makers are being sued because in the movie they made George's character (the capatain) look like he was reckless, didn't care about his crew, and caused the crews death. What do ya'll think?

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~*AnAsTaSiA*~

"What is the problem with Michael Jackson? You know! Michael Jackson, king of pop. Whoo whoo hee hee."

BURBANK, Calif., May 9, 2002 (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) -- A federal court judge today threw out a case brought by relatives of crewmen portrayed in the Warner Bros. Pictures film "The Perfect Storm."

In a 12-page Order, U.S. District Court Judge Anne C. Conway ruled in Warner Bros.' favor on all counts, dismissing the entire action and vacating the June 3 trial date. The court also ordered the plaintiffs to pay Warner Bros.' costs in defending the lawsuit.

Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that Warner Bros. had violated their rights of publicity and privacy, and were entitled to $10 million in damages. Warner Bros. asked the court to dismiss the case, on the grounds that the plaintiffs' claims were legally defective and unconstitutional.

Shortly after the release of the 2000 blockbuster film, the ex-wives of Billy Tyne (portrayed in the film by George Clooney) and Dale Murphy (portrayed in the film by John C. Reilly) sued Warner Bros. on behalf of themselves and their children, objecting to the way their ex-husbands were portrayed, and claiming the studio did not have the right to make the film without first obtaining their permission and compensating them. Doug Kosko, a fisherman briefly portrayed in the film, also sued.

Warner Bros. released the following statement: "We are extremely pleased with the Court's ruling in this important case. The plaintiffs' theory that Warner Bros. needed their permission to make `The Perfect Storm' -- and were required to tell the tragic story of the Andrea Gail the way plaintiffs wanted it told -- profoundly threatened free speech. Long-standing and important forms of creative expression, such as dramatized accounts of true events, historical fiction or unauthorized biographies would have been imperiled.

"In rejecting plaintiffs' claims and not requiring Warner Bros. to endure the burden and expense of a trial, and possible appeals, the court's ruling is a huge victory not only for Warner Bros. but for all writers, artists and filmmakers who may now continue to find inspiration in historical events without having their creative visions censored and controlled by anyone with a connection to those events. Creative works such as `The Perfect Storm' lie at the heart of the First Amendment's free speech protections, and Warner Bros. is deeply gratified that these fundamental principles were so thoroughly vindicated in today's decision."

"The Perfect Storm" was based on Sebastian Junger's 1997 best-selling novel of the same name, and told the story of the unprecedented storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991. A swordfishing boat known as the Andrea Gail was caught in the storm and lost at sea, resulting in the deaths of the boat's captain, Billy Tyne, and five crewmembers. While based on a true story, certain elements of the film were necessarily fictionalized.